3.00 Foundation Course Content
The foundation curriculum is organized to address the eight key foundation content areas. Demonstrating competence in these content areas prepares students for the advanced concentration curriculum in their selected Practice Method and Practice Area.
2 - 3 MSW Curriculum Foundation Requirements
3.01 Foundation Curricular Educational Objectives
Using a generalist social work practice perspective, students will:
- Apply knowledge of critical and creative thinking within the context of professional social work practice. - Describe the value base, ethical standards, and principles of the social work profession and their application to social work practice.
- Practice without discrimination and with respect, knowledge, and skills related to clients' age, class, color, culture, ability, ethnicity, family structure, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation.
- Identify the major forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination and strategies to advance social and economic justice.
- Identify the major milestones in the history of social welfare and their relationship to the social work profession and contemporary structures and issues.
- Use a bio-psycho-social, strengths-based, multi-system perspective to guide social work assessment and intervention efforts with client systems.
- Use theoretical frameworks supported by empirical evidence to describe individual development and behavior across the life span and the interactions among and between individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.
- Analyze, formulate, and advocate for changes in social policies.
- Evaluate research studies, apply research findings to practice and integrate evaluation measures into practice interventions.
- Effectively communicate with and establish culturally appropriate collaborative relationships with individuals, families, groups and communities.
- Use supervision and consultation appropriate to social work practice.
- Assess the structure and processes of organizations and service delivery systems to identify necessary organizational change.
- Assess the structure and process of neighborhoods and communities to identify necessary changes. - Evaluate the structure and processes of social policies on service delivery to identify necessary policy changes.
- Recognize when information is needed to inform professional decision-making and possess the skills required to locate, critically appraise, and apply information effectively.
3.02 Values and Ethics
In the foundation content area that centers on Values and Ethics, students focus on developing critical and creative thinking within the context of professional social work practice. Social work values and ethics are integrated through all of the foundation and advanced concentration courses.
2 - 3 MSW Curriculum Foundation Requirements
3.03 Diversity
The foundation content area of Diversity is addressed in all foundation courses. The faculty identified the following diversity dimensions as relevant for social work practice: client's age, class, color, culture, ability, ethnicity, family structure, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex and sexual orientation. Students explore how differences in identity, affiliation, and culture may lead to discriminatory practices and how to assess the intersectionality of individuals and groups in micro and macro practice. Students, through case studies and field work applications, examine ways to effectively communicate with and establish culturally appropriate collaborative relationships with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. In addition, students engaged in their field practicum are asked to reflect on the impact of multiculturalism and diversity on their practice setting.
3.04 Populations-at-Risk and Social and Economic Justice
The foundation content area of Populations-at-Risk and Social and Economic Justice is a cross cutting curricular theme and, as such, is addressed in every foundation course. In this content area, students learn to identify the major forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination as well as the strategies to advance social and economic justice.
3.05 Human Behavior in the Social Environment
The foundation content area Human Behavior in the Social Environment focuses on a lifespan approach to understanding micro, mezzo and macro theories that guide students' work with individuals, families, small groups, organizations and communities. Students learn to use theoretical frameworks supported by empirical evidence to describe individual development and behavior across the lifespan and the interactions among and between individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. Students also critically evaluate organizational and societal structures, social policy structures, neighborhood and community structures and processes that seek to promote social and economic justice.
3.06 Social Welfare Policy & Services
In the content area of Social Welfare Policy & Services, students learn about the major milestones in the history of social welfare, how to critically analyze, formulate and advocate for changes in social policies, and how to evaluate the structure and processes of social policies on service delivery.
3.07 Social Work Practice
In the foundation content area of Social Work Practice, students gain generic social work practice skills to work with individuals, families, small groups, organizations and communities. Methods courses are designed to offer students content on theories and interventions related to work with individuals,groups, families, organizations, communities and society. The methods courses provide skills necessary to practice at multiple levels of intervention so that students are prepared to assess needs and devise strategies for intervention in a given situation. In addition, these courses cover a broad range of micro and macro theories which serve as underpinnings to the interventions.
3.08 Research
The foundation content area of Research provides the knowledge and skills needed to evaluate research studies, apply research findings to practice, and integrate evaluation measures into practice interventions. In applied class assignments, students learn to apply appropriate research designs and methodologies of the scientific method to social work practice issues which affect populations at risk.
2 - 3 MSW Curriculum Foundation Requirements
3.09 Field Instruction
The final foundation content area, Field Instruction, emphasizes the need for students to apply the learning from the other seven foundation content areas in an applied field work experience. Students use supervision and consultation to demonstrate the application of generalist skills in their fieldwork site at the micro, mezzo, and macro practice levels. Through field work educational agreements and a foundation field seminar, students demonstrate the foundation skills necessary to prepare them for advanced practice.
3.10 Foundation Courses
Foundation courses, encompassing the eight course content areas, are required of all students (unless exempted) and are prerequisites for advanced courses. Generally, foundation courses are completed during the first and second term of the program.
Required foundation courses (each worth 3 credits):
- SW 500 Human Differences, Social Relationships, Well-Being and Change Through the Life Course - SW 502 Organizational, Community and Societal Structures and Processes
- SW 515 and 531 Foundation Field Instruction and Field Seminar - SW 521 Interpersonal Practice with Individuals, Families and Groups - SW 522 Basic Social Work Research
- SW 530 Introduction to Social Welfare Policy and Services
- SW 560 Management, Community Organization and Policy Practice
For full descriptions of these courses, please visit http://www.ssw.umich.edu/programs/classes/offerings. html.
2 - 3 MSW Curriculum Foundation Requirements